An irrepressible hare dances his way through 10 stories, which take him from an English meadow to Transylvania to the moon. Along the way, he uses humor, wiles and magic to improve the situations of those he meets--teaching good manners to a bad-tempered queen; helping a timid orphan overcome her fears (and her appetite for hare); defanging a vampire. With her widely varied settings and diverse characters, Banks (the Indian in the Cupboard novels) delivers abundant amounts of fantasy; her stories also function as parables, aptly demonstrating the rewards of such qualities as curiosity, spontaneity and self-acceptance. Her most compelling tales are those in which the hare, as trickster, faces an intractable situation or foe; when he is simply deploying his magic powers the narrative moves with considerably less tension. Moser supplies a single full-page watercolor--in most cases a portrait of a central figure--to accompany each tale. His illustrations vary in mood and expression, from tender to terrifying, and provide strong, often strikingly affecting touchstones for the text. All ages.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
Grade 3-6-Move over Raven, Coyote, and Anansi. Here's a new trickster with dancing feet and sharp wits. As Banks explains in the introduction, this hare must not be confused with a rabbit. He stops vampires and hiccups with a flip of his tail, and he doesn't merely hop. In one story, he jumps so high that he reaches the moon, and his dancing is so jolly that it turns a nasty queen into a pleasant one. This collection of 10 tales is varied in setting, character, and content. Hare helps an agoraphobic young woman overcome her fears, chases a dragon, and gives the demure harebell its name. Perhaps the most unusual and thought-provoking selection is about a witch who's working on closing the hole in the ozone layer. "The Hare and the Vampire" just begs to be told aloud, as does "The Hare with the Diamond Tail." Bank's pithy style creates episodes that are brief, but well developed and full of deadpan humor. She explores some sophisticated themes- prejudice, self-esteem, environmentalism-but the stories are never didactic. Moser's trademark watercolor portraits capture both the wildness and intelligence in Hare's eyes. The spoiled queen looks as nasty as Mary Lennox before she finds her secret garden, the giants Dismal and Horrible most definitely are that, the vampire looks horrendous, and the witch is a woman not to be messed with. A delightful modern collection with a feel of the classics.
Cheri Estes, Dorchester Road Regional Library, Charleston, SC
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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